Means for cooling internal-combustion engines



pril 28, 1931. N. B. WALES 1,802,744

I MEANS FOR COOLING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 24, 1926 V J 35 L j 41 INVENTOR 42 BY N/l THAN/EL B. WHLES.

fi ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1 931 UNiTEmsrATEs PATENT OFFICE NATHANIEL B. WALES, OF NEW YORK N'. Y.

s mums non COOLING rnrrzmvnr-oomus'rron ENGiNns a lication filed 'fune 24,

universally used, is open to many objections.

The low boiling point is objectionable because water in an engine cooling system easily boils over When the engine develops a higher than normal temperature, with the result that a'loss of water from the system occurs so that overheating and serious damage to the motor is likely to follow. On the other hand, the

relatively high freezing point I of water is also objectionable because of the risk in the colder seasons of damage to the engine structure through freezing of thewater in the engine cooling chambers.

. A general ob ect of the present invention is to provide means and a method for cooling internal combustion engines, which will be free from the objections referred to. Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling medium which will function not only to effect a cooling function but also to serve as a lubricating medium for the moving parts of the engine.

The invention includes the use of lubricat ing oil as a liquid cooling medium for internal combustion engines, the oil being circulated through the cooling system which includes a cellular radiator by means of which heat units are extracted from the cooling medium and carried awayby currents of air. The cold liquid thus provided is pumped ing relation to the engine cylinders.

Another feature of the invention resides in the circulation of the lubricating oil not only through the cooling system of the engine but through the lubricating system as well. This is achieved by the use of a multiple circulatory system which includes conduits leading to and from the crank case of the engine and to. and from the cooling jackets, both branches of the system including in common the cooling radiator referred to.

through cooling chambers formed in jacket- 1926. Serial No. 118,193.

Another feature of the invention resides in the -provision of a separating chamber through which the circulating lubricant is passed and from which volatile constituents, such as are produced in the lubricating fluid by the leakage of gasoline past the pistons, are separated or driven off and drawn into the intake manifoldpf'the engine for combustion in the firing chambers.

Other features of the invention will behereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention has been selected forillustration Fig. 1 is aview in side elevation, with parts shown in section, of an internal combustion engine equipped with cooling apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, an internal combustion engine is shown at 5 having vertically-arranged cylinders 6 and 7 mounted on a crank case chamber 8 and representing a conventional form of engine of this well known type. A cooling radiator is shown at 9 and a pump 10 operates to withdraw the liquid cooling medium from the upper ends of the cooling jackets 11 surrounding the. cylinder 6 through the conduits 12 and 13 and,

in forcing the hot liquid thus withdrawn from the cooling ackets of the cylinders through the pipe 14 into the upper end of the radiator 9, the cooling liquid descending through the radiator emerges at the lower end and passes through the pipe 15 .into lower portions of the cylinder jackets as at 16 and 17, thereby completing the circuit and supplying cooled liquid .to replace the hot liquid withdrawn from the upper ends of the jackets. 4 Y

Cooled lubricating liquid is also supplied from the lower end of the radiator 9'through the pipe 18 to a pump 20 which forces the liquid thus received through the conduit 21 and branches 22 into the-crank case 8 of the engine: In order to complete the circulation of lubricant into and out of the crank case chamber 8, a second pump 23, operating in a sump 24, withdraws lubricant from the crank case chamber and forces it through a pipe 26 into the conduit 59 leading into cooling jackets of the engine cylinders. 7 There. is thus provided a compound circulatory system through one portion of which the liquid medium is forced to produce a cooling action on the engine cylinders, and

' tons in the cylinders and into the crank case chamber, thereby diluting the lubricating material therein. This feature of the invention takes the form of a casing 27 into which the returning cooling agent, passing from the cylinder jackets through the pipe 12 to the ump 10, flows, emerging from the discharge end 28 of the pipe 12 and partaking of a swirling action in the casing 27. The swi'rL ing effect which is thus given the liquid entering the casing 27 facilitates the separation of the volatile constituents of the liquid from the less volatile constituents whereupon suction produced in the pipe 29 by its connection with the intake manifold 30 of the engine withdraws the vaporized contents of the casing 27 through the. upper end of the casing, as is indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Thus,'it will be seen that the diluting effect, which is constantly being produced in the lubricating liquid under ordinary operating conditions, is obviated in the operation of the apparatus shown in the drawing, so that the maximum lubricating efficiency of the lubrieating medium is constantly maintained.

I preferably insert in the pipe 18, through i which lubricating liquid is returned to the I crank case 8, a filtering device 31 of any suitable form, whereby not only is the volatile content of the lubricating liquid removed in the course of its circuit through the system but any solid content, which may find its way into the system, is also removed, thereby further maintaining the lubricating liquid in a pure and unadulterated condition.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings, asomewhat similar construction is shown but with a different location of the separating device 32 which is shown at an elevation above that of the cylinders and on a level with the upper end of the radiator 9 to facilitate the flow of the returning liquid through the pipe 33 to the radiator for cooling. A pump 3i receives liquid through the pipe 35 leading from the bottom of the radiator 9 andforces it directly through the pipe 36 into lower ends of the cooling jackets surrounding the cylinders 6 and 7. In this form of the invention the pump 34 also operatesto pump liquid through the pipe 37 into the secondary pump-38 which supplies liquid through the conduit 39 and branch pipes 40 to the crank case 8 of the engine. pumped from the sump 41 through the pipe 42 into the pipe 36 in a manner similar to the operation already described in connection with the discussion of Fig. 1. The vaporized content produced in the casing 32 is drawn through the pipe 4 3 into the intake manifold 30.

It will be seen that in either form of the invention, use is made of a liquid medium which serves a two-fold purpose, that is, to lubricate the moving parts of the engine and to produce a cooling action on the engine cylinders. In addition, the lubricating vmaterial passing through the cooling system is automaticallycleared of its undesirable volatile content, dilution of the oil being thereby prevented and its maximum lubricating efficiency being constantly maintained. By the use of lubricating oil as a cooling medium,-

the danger of overheating and damaging the engine by reason of the boiling away of the cooling liquid is wholly overcome; On the other hand, the damaging effects which take place through the freezing of the cooling liquid in the ordinary Water cooled engine are also obviated. Still another advantage of the use of lubricating oil as a cooling medium is found in the relatively high temperatures which can be persistently maintained in the engine cylinders with a corresponding increase in eficiency of operation. This increase in efficiency is obtained by reason of the higher vaporizing temperture of the gasoline which is obtained and the correspondingly improved gasification and expan- Oil is also in the circuit, cooling, chambers for the engine included in the circuit, means for causing oil to flow through the circuit, a vapor separator in the circuit, a conduit connecting-the vapor separator and the intake manifold of the engine, a branch circuit including the lubricating system of the engine, and a filter device'included in the branch circuit leading to the lubricating. system.

2. In a combined lubricating and cooling system for internal combustion engines, a circuit for lubricating oil, cooling chambers for the engine included in the circuit, means for causing oil to flow through the circuit, a vapor separator in the circuit,ia conduit connecting the vapor separator and the intake manifold of the engine, a branch circuit including the lubricating system of the engine,

and a filter device included in the branch circuit leading to the lubricating system.

3. In a combined lubricating and cooling system for internal combustion engines, a circuit for lubricating oil, a cooling radiator in the circuit, cooling chambers for the engine included in the circuit, means for causing oil to flow through the circuit, a branch circuit including the lubricating system of the engine, and a filter device included in the branch circuit leading to the lubricating system.

NATHANIEL B. WALES. 

